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“No.I mean, yes, but I’m okay.Really.I know what I’m doing.Rationally, I know it wasn’t my fault.I’m okay, really,” I repeated to ensure him.
Just then I heard footsteps approaching and turned to see Marcus.“Good, then you’ll be up for a little fun tonight.I’m thinking M2?”
Damon laughed and tossed the rag in his jumpsuit at him.“You need a girlfriend, man.”
“It’s the hottest club in Miami.Everyone knows that.And we’re all single.Why the hell shouldn’t we go?”
I shrugged my shoulders.“I’ll call up Deke and see if he’s busy tonight.What do you say, 2300 hours?”
“That’s eleven, Marcus,” Damon informed him, jokingly.
Marcus feigned laughter.“That’s real funny.Us civilians know military time, too.By the way, you’re both civilians now, as well.”
“Hey, you should bring your girlfriend,” Damon said to me.
Man, he was on a roll today, I thought.“I doubt she’ll want to go clubbing the night before her brother’s memorial service.”
“She’s not the one who’s dead, Colt.”
I responded to my brother, “I know, but I don’t really know her that well anyway.Plus, she’s having dinner with Brooke and Max tonight, so she’s busy.”
“Dude, relax.I didn’t even think you should invite her in the first place.I was just goading you.You are such an easy target,” Damon said, laughing as he threw away his sandwich wrapper.
* * *
As soon as I walked in the foyer and the aroma hit my nose, I commented, “It smells delicious.”
Damon was on my heels, sniffing.“Smells like Mom’s been cooking.”
Dad popped out of the kitchen and met us in the foyer.“It’s build-your-own tortilla night, so your mother’s been in the kitchen all afternoon making the fixings so we can have an array of choices.”
We piled into the kitchen all at once and I snuck behind my mom and gave her a kiss on the cheek.“Thanks, Mom, this all looks great.”
“Better than that food they serve you over there, isn’t it?”
I knew what she was doing, trying to make me feel bad for leaving in the first place.“Yes, it is, Mom.But now I’m back and I really don’t want to talk about any of that.I’m sure Damon feels the same way, right?”I elbowed him in the stomach as he passed by.
Sucking in his breath from the punch, he agreed.
“Do either of you know if Deacon’s going to show up?I tried calling him earlier, but it went straight to voicemail.”
Jesus, Deke, why do you do this to Mom?
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and shot him a quick text, asking him where the hell he was.
“You might want to check the baseball field,” Dad put in.
I looked over to Damon who was preparing himself a sandwich on the counter and licking his fingers clean of the mustard that spilled from the bottle.“Maybe he’s at the gym,” Damon commented.
Mom responded, “Go to the baseball field, Colt, that’s your best bet.”
“Now?”I asked, dying for the dinner Mom was cooking.
Dad gave me a look, so I just nodded and said, “Yes, sir.”
“Make it back for 2300 hours, though, and we can carpool,” Damon caught me before I left.
I hollered back, “‘K.”I really hoped I made it back before then, because Mom’s cooking was on a whole other level.Deke, you’re ruining my life.
